In this section:

IAXO: the International Axion Observatory

The hypothetical particles known as axions could be an important component of dark matter. The aim of the proposed International Axion Observatory (IAXO) is to search for axions with a signal-to-noise ratio some 105 better than the pioneering CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST). Such an improvement is possible only by building a large magnet, together with optics and detectors that optimize the experiment’s capabilities. The central component of IAXO would be a superconducting toroid magnet, while the detector would rely on a high magnetic field distributed over a large volume to convert solar axions to detectable X-ray photons.